Nail-driving machine.



J. J. STEPANEK.

NAIL QRIVING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1911.

1,262,863. PitentedA r. 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. i

M V I z? Z J. J. STEPANEK.

NAIL DRIVING'MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. I9Iz.

1,262,863. Patented Apr. 16, 1918,

'2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

JOSEPH J. STEPANEK, OF TABOB, SOUTH DAKOTA.

NAIL-DRIVING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed June 16, 1917. Serial No. 175,126.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. STEPANEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tabor, in the county of Bonhomme, State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail-Driving Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Thisinvention is an improvement in apparatus for securing metallic fasteners and has particular reference to a nail driving machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine including an improved feed mechanism to which the nails are delivered from a mechanism and which is actuated by the driving of one nail to release the next succeeding nail to be driven to a position in the path of movement of the driving element.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the magazine.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken in a plane below that of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the feed mechanism.

In the drawing the numeral 10 indicates the body'portion of the machine which may be made of metal or any other desired material and which is provided with the handle 11 so that the machine may be carried about in one hand of the operator, said body having its upper portion 11 enlarged and provided with a magazine 12 on the top thereof. In the bottom of the magazine the same is provided with a plurality of parallel slots 13 forming branch raceways, the outer'ends of which are stepped and curved as indicated at 14 and made to communicate with the main raceway 15 formed in the forward end of the body portion. The outer ends of the raceways 13 are provided with cover strips 16 and the main raceway 15 is also provided with a cover 17 joined at 18 at its upper end to the adjacent cover 16, the lower end of the cover 17 being free to move in a vertical plane and having its lower end adapted to provide a stop 19, which is normally positioned in the path of the nails in the lower end of the raceway 15 so as to prevent any further movement thereof until released in a manner to presently appear.

The forward end of the body portion 10 is provided with a horizontally disposed platform 20 and extending above and below said platform is a vertical sleeve member or tube 21 having oppositely disposed longia tudinal slots 22 and in which is slidably mounted the driving element 23 practically in the form of a rod the upper end of which is adapted to be struck with a hammer in order to drive a nail which has been released into the lower end of said sleeve member. The rod or driving element 23 is preferably retained in a raised or inoperative position by means of a coil spring 2 1 one end of which is connected to a bracket 25 carried by the sleeve member 21 while the other end is secured to a pin 26 carried by the rod 23 and projecting through one of the slots 22.

The feed mechanism preferably comprises a stop and releasing member generally indicated by the numeral 27 and consisting of a pair of plates 28 and 29 slidably mounted in guide flanges 30 formed upon the platform 20 and extending transversely of the raceway 15, said plates being joined by means of an inverted and substantially U-shaped bracket 31 which is adapted to be actuated, in a manner to presently appear, in order to reciprocate the plates 28 and 29 transversely of the raceway 15. The plates 28 and 29 are provided, respectively, with the stop arms 32 and 33, the former being normally positioned across the raceway 15 at its lowest extremity so as to prevent the nail from enteringthe sleeve member 21 below the driving element 23. However, when themember 27 is adjusted in one direction, the member 32 is shifted out of the path of the nail in the end of the raceway and permits the same to enter the sleeve 21. Previous to the release of the nail bythe member 32 the bracket 31, in its movements, strikes a small trip 34 in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at 35 and causes said trip to engage a crimped portion 36 of the lower end of the cover 17 and raise and lower the end whereby to move the sto 19 out of the path of the next succeeding nail permitting. the same to slide downwardly a slight distance toward the lower end ofthe raceway. release of the next succeeding nail by the stop 19. and the release of the lowermost nail into the lower end of the tube 21, the stop memberi33 will be projected into the-path of movement of-the next succeeding nail and thus prevent any further downward movementthereofuntil said members 32 and 33 are returned to their normal positions whereupon said next succeeding nail will move a slight distance farther in the raceway-and engage the member 82 until released by the next operation of the driving element 23.

The mechanism for reciprocating the stop ping and'releasing member 27 preferably comprises a frame 87 mounted upon the platform 20 and connected to the upper end of the sleeve member 21 and supporting therein a pivoted trip 38 one end of which is arranged in the path of movement of a pin 39 carried by the rod 23 and projecting through one of the slots 22 in said sleeve member. The other end of the trip is joined to a portion of a chain or other flexible element 40 one end of which issecured to the upper end of the frame 37 and the other end of "which is connected at ll to the bracket '31 of tlie'member 27, said chain. being formed in sections and having a coil spring 42: interposed therebetween. In order to guide: the chain40 the frame 87 has mounted therein a roller 43 around which the lower section of said chain passes After the member 27 i has been shi tted in one direction by-j'therupward pull uponthe chain 40 and the action of'the spring 42 said-member 27 is' returned to its normal position by a coil spring'aat one end of which is connected at 45- to one end. of the member 27 while the other-*endof said spring issecured at 46. to the sleeve member 21 and it will be seen that byreason of the springs 42 and lathe reciprocation of the member 27 will be very rapid which fact will also be due ;to the repeated and'forceful movement of the drivingele ment 23 when struck a hard blow with a hammer.

' What is claimed is 1. A nail driving machine comprising a body, a magazine mounted thereon, a raceway communicating with said'magazine, a driving element positionedadjacent the delivery end ofsaid race-way and below which the'nailsare fed therefrom when said driving element is actuated,means normallypreventing anail being fed beneath said driv mg element and operated to release the Almost simultaneouslywith the.

thenailsare fed therefrom when said driving element is actuated, means movable transversely r of saidraceway normally preventing a nail being fed beneath said drivingelement and operated when said driving element is actuated to -release a nail from :the

raceway to a driving positiomand means forming a 'cover'for said raceway-and having a portion norm-ally disposed in the path of movement of the nails in the raceway and operable to permit the nails to be fed singlyto the last-named means before being released to position beneath the dr1v1ng-ele- 'ment.

3'. A nail driving machinecomprisinga body, a magazine 'mou-nted thereon, a raceway communicating with said magazine, a

driving element positioned I adjacent the delivery end of said raceway and below which the nails arefed therefrom-whensaid driving element is actuated, means movable transversely of said' racewaynormally preventing a nailbeing' fed beneath said driving element and operated when said driving element isactuatedto release a nail from the raceway to a driving position, means forming a cover for said raceway and having a portion normally disposed in th'e path of movement of the nails in the raceway and operable to permittthenails to be fed singly to the last named 'meansbefore b'eingreleased to a position beneath the driving element, and means operated by the first named means to actuatethe last 1 named means whereby to permit of asingle nail bein'gqdelivered to said'first namedmeans.

at. In a nail-driving machine, the combi nation of raceway for the nails, a driving element'positioned at the delivery'end of the raceway and below wh-ich the nails are fed, movable means normally preventing nails beingfed beneath said driving element, and a cover for said'raceway having aportion normally disposed in the pathof movement of the nails operable topermit the same to be fed singly tothe last named means .before the same is moved torelease the nails'to a position beneath the driving element.

5. A nailfdriving machine comprising a body, a magazine mounted thereon, a raceway communicating with? said magazine,a driving element'positioned adjacent tlie delivery end of said raceway and below which the nails are fed therefrom when said driving element is actuated, a platform forming a part of said body portion, a sleeve member supported by said platform and in which said driving element is operable, a reciprocatory element slidably mounted upon said platform transversely of saidraceway and including a pair of stop members one of which is normally positioned in the path of movement of the nails in said raceway whereby to prevent a nail from entering the sleeve member below said driving element, a trip mechanism actuated by the operation of said driving element and connected to said reciprocatory element whereby to actuate the latter to deliver a nail from said raceway into said sleeve member, the other stop of said reciprocatory element being projected into the path of movement of the nails of said raceway to prevent the feeding of more than one nail to said sleeve member, and means forming a cover for said raceway and provided with a stop also normally arranged in the path of movement of the nails in said raceway and actuated by the movement of said reciprocatory element to release a nail so that the same will contact the last named stop of said reciprocatory element when said stop is projected into the path of movement of the nails.

6. A nail driving machine comprising a body, a magazine mounted thereon, a raceway communicating with said magazine, a driving element positioned adjacent the delivery end of said raceway and below which the nails are fed therefrom when said driving element is actuated, a platform forming a part of said body portion, a sleeve member supported by said platform and in which said driving element is operable, a reciprocatory element slidablymounted upon said platform transversely of said raceway and including a pair of stop members one of which is normally positioned in the path of movement of the nails in said raceway whereby to prevent a nail from entering the sleeve member below said driving element, a trip mechanism actuated by the operation of said driving element and connected to said reciprocatory element whereby to actuate the latter to deliver a nail from said raceway into said sleeve member, the other stop of said reciprocatory element being projected into the path of movement of the nails of said raceway to prevent the feeding of more than one nail to said sleeve member, means forming a cover for said raceway and provided with a stop also normally arranged in the path of movement of the nails in said raceway and actuated by the movement of said reciprocatory element to release a nail so that the same will contact the last named stop of said reciprocatory element when said stop is projected into the path of movement of the nails, and resilient means for returning said reciprocatory and driving elements to their normal positions.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. STEPANEK. Witnesses:

RUTH RIFENBARK,

CHARLES C. STEPANEK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

